Bowel movement question

Hello BBM,
About 6 years ago I increased my fruit and vegetable intake, which has been great, but, it’s increase my bowel movements to the point they are negatively interfering with my life. Hoping for some clarity on what to do. I understand the great health benefits of that many servings, so I’m having a hard time just giving it up.

I got used to the uptick in bowel movement at the time, and was pretty stubborn about ignoring the negative aspects of it. Recently, I had the flu which forced me to lower the daily serving amount to about 4. 3-4 bowel movements at inopportune times turned into 1 manageable one. That was a bit of a wake-up call.

Sorry for potential tmi… according to web md, my stools are relatively normal, they’re just frequent, some being quite small and hard to pass because of their size. I spend time in the bathroom that could be spent doing other things.

I don’t want to give up eating 8-10 servings of vegetables, but at this point I’m not sure what else to do. Perhaps it’s time to face the music (insert brown note joke here)

thanks for your time as always,
Tim​

I don’t know that I have much advice for you here. Having multiple bowel movements per day, provided they are not loose/watery (meeting the definition of diarrhea), is not necessarily abnormal. Having “small, hard to pass” bowel movements raises the question of potential constipation, although if they are very small it is unclear what would be driving the urge to use the restroom at that time anyway. You could consider trying treatments for constipation to mitigate this latter aspect, although I’m not sure whether that would help your overall frequency concern.

Ok thanks. I was wondering… could displacing my fruit/veg intake differently help change when a bowel movement occurs, as well as whether or not the vegetables are cooked? I have 1-3 servings at main meals, plus 5 servings during a snack midday. I’ve also been eating almost exclusively raw veg out of convenience.

Unfortunately I don’t know, but these are certainly things you could experiment with.

K sounds good, thanks a lot for your help

tfranc: bowel function is something that is highly individualized and may evolve over one’s lifetime as the gut biome evolves. Exposures to antibiotics, new foods, even new intimate contacts can change the flora living in the GI tract, which can in turn affect the number and rate of bowel movements. I recommend experimenting with the amount of dietary fiber you are getting (typical recommendations for men are 30-35g daily, 25-30g daily for women) as well as the sources of that fiber. Fruit/veggie sources are excellent, especially dark leafy greens, but probably shouldn’t be your sole source. A more diverse array of whole foods will support a more diverse gut biome, so incorporate legumes (beans of all kinds) and whole grains into your fiber sources, as well. The “hard to pass” stools definitely raise concern for constipation, as Dr. Baraki identified, and this can lead to long term issues with diverticular disease or hemorrhoid problems if persistent. I recommend the routine use of OTC stool softeners, as well as increased oral fluid intake, if hard stools are a frequent occurrence. The colon is a water reclamation organ; it will pull every possible drop of water out of the stool if you are systemically dehydrated, leading to tiny, hard stools. For people who truly struggle with constipation there are effective medications, such as Linzess, but in reality very few people should need something like that. Most people fall far short of the daily fiber and fluid intake recommendations. Most cases of constipation are circumstantial or an issue of fluid/fiber balance, rather than neurological. Those with poorly controlled diabetes or nerve conditions such as Hirschsprung’s disease need medical interventions, but it doesn’t sound like this is you. Since your bowel function swings between too many BMs and hard, small BMs, it is more likely a case of needing to get your fluids and fiber balance titrated to a level that works for you, and possibly adding a stool softener to your regimen. Best of luck.